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Israeli Sanhedrin Condemns China's Repression of Falun Gong

By Howard M. Friedman

In Israel in 2004, a group of rabbis recreated the Sanhedrin-- the traditional court of 71 rabbis that existed in ancient Israel. (See prior posting.) Canada Free Press reported on Saturday on a decision of the Sanhedrin, handed down on July 15, condemning the killing of Falun Gong adherents by China. The decision (full text) says: "Israeli Falun Gong practitioners, representing Falun Gong practitioners in the People?s Republic of China, lodged a complaint against the Government of the People?s Republic of China before the Sanhedrin sitting as The International Court of Justice, headed by Rabbi Adin Even Yisrael (Steinzalts) in the month of Tamuz 5767 [July 2007]." The opinion concludes:

[I]f the human rights issues are not addressed before the Olympic Games begin, we consider participation in them by athletes and by spectators and political leaders to be an indirect danger to world peace. With respect to other repression which the Government of the People?s Republic of China is alleged to be perpetrating or supporting, such as the Tibet Repression, the Darfur Massacres, the aid China is said to be giving to the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea ? all these support the allegations of the Falun Gong practitioners regarding the attitude of the Government of the People?s Republic of China towards human life and the rights of
Nations.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on August 03, 2008 (boomark / email).